Feudal Tale
by Jade Ice Fire
Summary: In the feudal era, war rages between the humans as thier greed for power consumes them. The untold historical reality of Sengoku Jidai intwined with Rumiko Takahashi's creation, Inuyasha. Rated for reality.
1. Beginings are never easy

A/N: This will be a historical work, with much of the researched facts included. Thus names and places are historically accurate for the Sengoku Jidai, Nihon.  
Explanations will be provided at the end of each chapter. Any names or places indicated will be of my own creation.

Disclaimer: I do not own nor make any profit from the aforementioned Characters or Historical sites of Japan.

Inuyasha is a product created by Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

*

~o0o~

_Miscathus and patrinia, grasses and flowers,_

_Growing in the desolate garden of the hermitage._

_Delicate as the dew, subtle as a phantom,_

_All is dispersed by the wind._

~o0o~

*

Deep In the warm summer night, crickets sang a melancholy tune while fireflies danced on the breeze.

Night encompassed the forest, weaving it in serene stillness.

Light of the waxing moon seemed to gather upon one form that stood at the edge of the western lands, overlooking the fire dotted valley below.  
Immaculate silver hair flowed freely about, as hard golden eyes surveyed the land.

For far too long he had been on this path, in a search to gain even more power than he held presently. He had forgone the dictatorship of his lands, preferring to roam freely.

He glanced at a most annoying creature to his right, that had still not ceased in his mutterings. Perhaps that is why he withstood the kappa youkai that followed him.  
To stave off some of the quiet solitude from years past. Not being one to give voice to such things, he endured.

Sesshomaru swiftly picked up a stone and launched it. The green irritation fell silent, unconscious.

Being a merciless killer, one mustn't show one's emotions.

He learned at a young age to reign all those unnecessary things in.  
Father teaching him to be stoic, Mother teaching that emotions, love, was a fickle dream the weak used to escape reality.

Nothing was certain in this world but death.

_These feeble ningen, raising war, ignorant in their pursuit to power_. He scoffed at them.

"Like horseflies, life for these creatures is but a moment."

The centuries he had lived so far showed him much of these mortals and their useless existence.

_No use thinking on it._

He turned away from the overview, fading into the night while below, the human encampment of soldiers and samurai slept before the coming battle near dawn.

*

~o0o~

*

Mist hung heavy in the valley, providing sufficient coverage for the army of Yamana Mochitoyo, ningen daimyo of western Nihon.

Today they would launch yet another attack on their enemy Hosokawa.

In reality this burgeoning war began as nothing more than a conflict between the two powerful daimyo.  
It only escalated from there due to Yamana's attempts to increase his own families rank within the shogunate.

Hosokawa Katsumoto, daimyo in the east, was at that moment readying his own force to combat the red monks advance.

The previous spring had brought nothing but destruction when the war had finally begun.

May 1467 the conflict had left Kyoto burning, with the civil war being fought in trenches, dug from the rubble left of the capital.

In light of Yamana's retreat in order to regroup, now was the time for Hosokawa to strike.  
Sending in his own advance of ashigaru and samurai cavalry to the enemy encampment in hopes to reduce their number, even marginally.

With the Shogunate seat in question and a fierce war raging, neither side had much time to think on the demon population residing in the area.

Of course Yamana had approached the Lord of the western Kuni in hopes to gain his favor before the start of his campaign.

The Daiyoukai was not moved, however, resulting in the deaths of Yamana's strategist and personal retainer who'd sat on either side of him.

He had barely registered the green whip of light arching above him, or the smell of burning flesh, as the daimyo awaited the youkai's answer.  
Which he got in the form of the rolling heads of his men.

Fortunate in leaving the Lords Shiro, he would never again hope to come into contact with the icy cold glare of Sesshomaru tono.

"Demons care not for the wars of man." The youkai had stated in a low steely voice, sending chills down the hardened daimyo's back in remembrance.

"While you may win you're petty battles for meaningless human power, never forget This Sesshomaru lords the western province. Having personally overseen these Kori for a mere two hundred years, this one will not tolerate your filthy ningen squabbles."

Striving to keep distance from the Western Shiro had led Yamana to push on to Kyoto, where began the Onin no Ran.

In the same manner, Hosokawa got no further with the Lord of the Eastern tribes.  
Being less stoic than the Inuyoukai, Kouga the Ookami prince, allowed the daimyo to leave with his subordinates still breathing.

He had laughed in the mans face, believing him a fool for thinking a demon lord would support a ningen war.

*

~o0o~

*

The summer was reaching it's zenith when Sesshomaru encountered the first band of ashigaru from the East.

On a quest to gather information about a supposed inheritance left by his Inu no Daiyoukai father, when he came upon the filth setting fire to a village within his lands.

The ningen were looting the homes and store houses, burning what was left behind. The helpless farmers striving to defend the crops, their only source of livelihood, while being cut down by odachi weilding samurai on horseback.

A few of the village women were being raped in the dirt streets.

Sesshomaru's visage held a rare expression of disgust as he wrinkled his nose.

A low growl erupted from him, capturing the attention of those close by.

They had the chance to at least see their death as the sharp crack of burning acid split the night. Others had no warning as their heads rolled from bodies, spewing forth blood upon the soil.

Villagers rushed to the aid of their fallen, as few tried in vain to smother the flames overtaking their homes. Others still, fell to their knees before the western Lord in gratitude.

"Take your surviving to the next village south of here. This Sesshomaru was headed that way. They will be informed of your plight. It is my responsibility as the Lord of these lands." He stated with a gesture of his hand, as he walked away, leaving the stench behind him.

*

~o0o~

*

The stifling heat of August folded into autumn, heralding a change in the overall moral among the soldiers.

Late in September Yamana was joined by a powerful warlord, Ouchi Masahiro, and the fighting turned to carnage.

The Western daimyo began to feel he had won already. Letting the rush of accomplishment go to his head, he foolishly ordered an army of eight thousand to storm the Western Tono's Shiro in hopes of capturing the dominate post.

Not one man came back from the operation.  
With such a massive loss, Yamana retreated into the Kyoto region, frightened of a retaliation from the Inuyoukai.

Sesshomaru took no joy from rendering those soldiers limb from limb.

The foolhardy attempt pissed him off greatly, but he had no intention of going after the idiot daimyo.  
No ningen force could ever hope to conquer Sesshomaru's lands. He felt Yamana a waste of his time.

*

~o0o~

*

Nothing came to fruition by the end of 1467.  
With no clear winner the two sides settled in for a protracted political and military fight.

Attacks on villages became fewer, and further in between, as all men were directed towards the ruined capitals surrounding areas.  
In turn the Edo region became quieter on the human side of things.

Sesshomaru had taken to wandering once more for any information of his father, the kappa readily following.

Days became monotonous and dull.

A famine had come and gone, leaving a blight upon the earth.

Many would die in the coming winter for lack of sustenance.

Farmers struggled with autumn harvests, while villagers stole from each other in a bid to survive.

Mothers mourned their loss when children perished of malnutrition.

Mikos' of villages fortunate enough to have them, were kept busy in healing maladies while trying to keep peace from within, as well as slaying crazed, rouge demons that set upon their boarders.

*

~o0o~

*

A shift came early one summer, as the last visage of spring gave way to the suns growing warmth.

Mallow plants danced in the breeze while thrushes flew about, calling in song to one another.

The peace of the day was shattered when a jettison of pure energy burst forth from an old well that sat in a clearing of forest near Edo.

The resounding shock waves sent the birds from their perch with fitful cries, as they circled overhead.

Soon the sounds of struggling breath came from within as the vines climbing along side and into the well grew taut under weight.

A young girl emerged, levering herself from the old structure with a perplexed look in her cerulean eyes.

Kagome Higurashi had finally arrived in the Sengoku Jidai.

This era would never be the same.

**…**

* * *

**…**

A/N: I know the story was in short bursts, but I didn't want to bore anyone with the numerous historical references.

Sengoku Jidai: Warring stated period 1467-1615 AD

Nihon: Japan

Daimyo: Feudal (local) Lord

Shogun: General

Shogunate: Government

Onin no Ran: Onin War of 1467-1478 AD

Ashigaru: Drafted foot soldiers who wore light armor, and was of lower-class families or commoners.

Samurai, at this period of time, did not follow any Bushi-do, or samurai code. They were often times very cruel and deceitful. That isn't to say there weren't noble samurai.  
(Uesugi Kenshin was renowned for his honor in battles.)

Yamana was known as the red monk, or Aka-nyudo, due to the Buddhist monks' quick temper and scarlet complexion. He also took the name sozen.

Kyoto was, at that time, the capital of Japan. Some, even to this day view it as such. In this time period it was called Kyo, but I used Kyoto instead.

Kuni: Countries or provinces. (Before the prefecture system Japan was divided into tens of Kuni with each one ruled by a Shogun).

Kori: Districts. (Each Kuni was divided into Kori ruled by the Daimyo).

Shiro: Castle

Daiyoukai: Great demon (apparition), literally. **Dai** means **great** in Japanese. **Tai** on the other hand means **fish**, red snapper to be exact.  
So get it right, nobody want's to picture Sesshomaru as a fish! **~_o**

Tono: Lord

Odachi: Literally, a great big sword. The average odachi was around 65-70 inches long. (5'5"-5'10") Couldn't be used in close combat, but found effective while on horseback.  
Most have religious inscriptions on the blade.

Edo: Tokyo in the Sengoku Jidai. In this age it is still an old name for Tokyo.

Kappa: Water demon. No one can really tell what Jaken is, so I refer to him as such because it reminds me of the episode where Sesshomaru used him like an outboard motor to propel the boat he was in. **^_^**

**…**

*The top paragraph in italics is an excerpt from a Japanese writing A fairy of the Basho, I can not remember from where I got it.

**...**

**More to come! Please read and review. I hardly ever get those. -_-,**


	2. A skip in time

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Fuurin Kazan. This is merely a work of self expression.

* * *

~o0o~

_Love, in the face of a girl:_

_Sea wanderer, forest visitor!_

_Even the pure immortals can not escape you_

_And mortal man, in his one day's dusk,_

_Trembles before your glory. _

~o0o~

Chapter 2

"Feh! If I have to eat that shit again…"

"Inuyasha!" The warning was there, in the tone of her voice.

"What?" The hanyo said hesitantly, his ears drooping a bit.  
Kagome shot him a look and went back to stirring the barley, miso mixture boiling above the camp fire.

Years had past since Kagome climbed from the bone eaters well and freed Inuyasha. Now they were all there on the path to finding their greatest enemy.

They had been following Naraku's trail for the sixth week now, and their staples were dwindling.  
By the second ramen had become a distant memory, causing a certain half Inuyoukai to be more testy than usual.

Now, after five days of what could be a samurai's field rations, he was near to unbearable.

With the land in the grip of another famine even wild game had become scarce.

Demons had been preying on villages all over the province they were traveling, wiping out any hope of refuge and extra supplies.

Kagome sighed and glanced over at the others.  
She smiled as Shippo and Rin ran by chasing Kirara into the forest.

It amazed her that they could find such happiness in these conditions. Even more so that Sesshomaru allowed any type of joyful abandonment around him-self.

When they had all come together (around the same time the ramen had run out), every one had absolutely been shocked at just what Rin could get away with around the stoic demon Lord.

It made Kagome rethink her preconceptions.

_I mean he did save me from that disgusting poison master. _She thought as she added the last of the stewed daikon to the bubbling mixture.

_He most definitely didn't have to do that. It served him no purpose at all. Rin has certainly changed him._

She smiled at the little girl walking back into camp with Kirara in her arms.

The rest of the group were spread out waiting for the food to be prepared.

Miroku sat in deep meditation across the fire beside Sango who stood cleaning Hirikotsu with a soft cloth. Ah-Un seemed to be asleep further behind them.

Inuyasha sat on a low branch close to the small stream running nearby, and Jaken, nearly Miroku's mirror image, seemed to be asleep rather than meditating near the fire.  
A snot bubble, formed as he snored, popped and Kagome jerked back in surprise.

"Eww. Jaken you nasty pest! Wake up and get away from the food. Gross." She yelled at the kappa startling him so, that he fell over, smacking himself with the staff of two heads.

He crawled farther away from the fire, and the Mikos' temper, grumbling "Stupid wench."

"I heard that." she shot back silencing the little green youkai at once.

Kagome quickly pulled the pot from the flames and began dishing out servings into wooden bowls. As she came to the last one, she frowned. They wouldn't have enough for every one.

She did rapid calculations in her head and gave a short nod. Discounting Sesshomaru, who got his own meals, she poured two spoonfuls back into the pot from each bowl and gave up the portion for herself. They would have enough until they reached the next village.

_Hopefully it will still be there. _She thought, filling her bowl with water. She added one spoon of broth and a few bits of the radish to fool every one else.

_At least the kids will be fed._

Sesshomaru stood in the shadows cast by the fires light, watching as Kagome solved the dilemma of rationing their food.  
Disliking human food, he had no worry over where his next meal came from.

Youkai such as himself had no need for sustenance as often, meaning he could go weeks without eating and still remain just as powerful.  
Something his idiot half brother could only dream of.

Inuyasha complained throughout the meal about the contents of his bowl, never noticing his 'companion' was basically eating water with daikon, smiling all the while.

The Inu Lord had.  
He also noted, with a slight curiosity, when the Miko pulled the children aside to hand them each a block of some sweet smelling concoction the kitsune labeled chocolate.

Kagome smiled as Shippo dragged Rin away from the others to devour their treat in solitude. (Away from Inuyashas' nose).

She gave a small yelp of surprise when Sesshomaru slid up quietly beside her.

"What was that you gave to Rin?"

Kagome stammered a bit, he made her nervous.  
"Ah. That. It's chocolate, a sweet or confection from my time. You eat it, it's really good. I have another if you would like to try some."

"Hn. Perhaps at another time." He turned away, finding a tree to lean against for the night.

Kagome was left feeling perplexed. He had actually responded to her question.

Before he wouldn't have stayed past the explanation, let alone answer her!

She shook her head and sat down to read.

The Inu's eyebrow went up.  
As he watched from the corner of his eye, Kagome pulled a thick book from her rugged pack It wasn't so surprising, she did come from a different age.

What cracked his emotionless mask was that the book was written in another language. One he didn't know.

"Oi! What are you staring at Kagome for, bastard?"

Sesshomaru glared at his lack witted brother, annoyance building from within.

"This Sesshomaru does not stare at the Miko half breed. Only at the material she holds."

The cold arrogance of his tone made the Hanyo puff up, ready for a fight.

"Inuyasha, don't start." Kagome called over with a sigh. He growled at her, but stomped off at the rise of her eyebrow.

Every one else released a pent up breath, glad another calamity had been averted.

~o0o~

The village they arrived in the next morning, thankfully had more than enough in the market for the group to choose from.  
Being so close to the sea, with their own port, kept the place afloat, so to speak. They were in direct trading with China.

Kagome was busy remembering her ancient history. Try as she might, it was fuzzy at best. She was pretty sure that, with the famine and such, it was near time for uprisings to begin. Making her wary of being around main settlements such as this one.

"Everyone let's all get what we need quickly and get out of here." She said, noting the stares they were receiving.  
They agreed and split up to buy the needed items.

Miroku had gone off with Inuyasha and Kirara stayed behind with Jaken and Ah-Un.

Sesshomaru was of cource absent, not wishing to smell the fetid human population.

Sango, Kagome, Rin and Shippo began gathering vegetables and things of that nature.

There was burdock and barley (Inuyasha would be _**so **_happy), eggs and a small pack of sugar. Finding the umeboshi made all four of them give a silent cheer. Rice, of cource, and katsuobushi.  
Kagome picked up some mochi even when Shippo groused.

When they all met up again at the edge of town, Sesshomaru appeared walking from the forest to stand next to Inuyasha, who had two chickens draped over his shoulder.

Sango clapped her hands telling Kagome they were fighting cocks.  
She said she would teach her how to make Gunji nabe for their meal that night, which perked up the Hanyo's mood considerably.

As they left the town behind none but the Daiyoukai noticed they were followed. He found it of little importance, but kept his gaze vigilant anyway.

Takeru followed the group quietly, his eyes hungrily roaming over the girl wearing the short kimono.

He had seen her at the market laughing with the youkai taijia and was mesmerized.

He followed them learning all he could from their conversation.

The child, it seemed was not hers but belonged to someone called Sesshomaru sama.

He was surprised the taijia allowed a kitsune to travel with them until he saw their other companions at the edge of town.

Rage washed over him momentarily when he thought one of the males might have a claim on the woman, but it didn't seem to be so. With plans on grabbing her in the night, he trailed them until they made camp at dusk.

Sesshomaru caught the stench of human male once again, only this time it held a strong undertone of lust. The youkai narrowed his eyes. That was not something he would permit. Silently he left camp to circle around behind the reeking ningen.

The man was filthy, dressed as a poor Ronin with one rusty sword tethered to his side. His black hair, streaked with grey, was held in a sloppy top knot and a nasty scar ran along his cheek. His eyes held a sickly, dark kind of lust as they followed Kagomes' every move.

A deep, guttural growl was the only warning he had.

Takeru swung around, freeing his sword in one motion, only to be met with a blur of white and green before his world went black.

Sesshomaru grimaced when he turned back to the camp only to see a tad too much of Kagome's thigh from where she sat near the fire.

As long as he'd known of the woman, she had worn such apparel. It was indecent he thought.

Reasoning that it was so there would be less of these types of problems, Sesshomaru flew back to the village with an intent of purchasing something more befitting a woman of this era.

The group had finished their meal by the time Sesshomaru stepped back into camp.

"Where the hell have you been?" Inuyasha began, only to snap his mouth shut in shock as the Inuyoukai strode up to Kagome.

A package wrapped in brown paper tied with hemp landed in the dirt next to her.  
Kagome looked up in surprise.

"This Sesshomaru dispatched a man earlier, who had followed from the village. It was his every intention to snatch you, Miko."

Kagome's face showed shock at this revelation.

"The smell radiating from him was disgusting and one I do not wish to experience again. Fore go those kimono of your time and garb yourself accordingly." He stated coolly before walking away.

The Miko's mouth was dry as she watched his retreating form.

"That is the most I have ever heard Sesshomaru sama speak." Jaken said with tears in his eyes.

"Chikushou, how did I not smell the guy? Oi, Kagome quit letting these bastards lust after you!" Inuyasha barked.  
Miroku shot him a 'shut the hell up' glance.

"Keh!." The hanyo spat as he jumped onto the low branch of a near by tree.

Kagome folded back the paper to reveal a yukata, awase and two brightly colored obi. She glanced back up at Sesshomaru, who was reclined against an outcropping of rocks near the base of the mountain.

She stood and made her way over to him, conscious of everyone's staring eyes. She waited at his feet until he looked at her, one brow arched elegantly.  
Kagome slid to her knees and bowed deeply.

"Thank you Sesshomaru sama, for the clothes and protection you have provided."

She surprised him yet again with such respectful words.

A voiced "Hn" was all she got in response, but she smiled none the less.

~o0o~

It had become a normal occurrence for the group to be without one or both of their youkai protectors.

Over the next few months Sesshomaru would be gone from camp before they awoke, only to find them once more in the evening.  
It was to be expected since he never hid the fact he didn't care much for humans.

What really put the group on edge was Inuyashas frequent disappearances. For the last two weeks the Hanyo had hardly shown his face.

At first it had near ripped Kagome's heart in two.  
Now she just shook her head, eyes filled with sadness, and buried herself in school workbooks.

It was one such evening when they came upon a group of bandits surrounding three woman and what looked to be a Samurai.  
The two older women pressed themselves to the much younger one in an attempt to protect her as the bushi gripped his sword in anticipation.

Miroku strode forward confidently, causing the bandits to cease their circling of the four in the center.

"Excuse me my good men. Could you point me in the direction of the nearest temple?" The naivety in his tone made the six unscrupulous men grin wickedly at each other.

You see, Miroku is a man of certain taste.  
Never one to waste the payment 'given' to him from his time spent previously, he made sure to keep himself looking handsome for the ladies.

His robes, hardly ever dirty, were made of good quality cloth and fairly nice. Not to mention the pristine condition of his Shakujou.

So, leave it to greedy uneducated dimwits to try and attack the Houshi.

Miroku's eyes held a frightening kind of glimmer as the first man made his move.

Jerking forward with a swing of his blade, the monk merely stepped to the side and, as the man stumbled past, brought the end of his staff down across his head.

Seeing their comrade slumped in the dirt brought the others into action, until Miroku sucked their weapons into his hand.  
Screaming in fright, the now frantic bandits fled leaving behind their 'friend'.

Miroku smirked wickedly as he wrapped his prayer beads around his wrist once more.

Kagome, Sango and the others came out from the trees laughing.

"Miroku sama, that was brilliant." Kagome said brightly.

"Why thank you Kagome sama. I couldn't just stand idly by while they bullied such a lovely young woman, now could I?"

Kagome rolled her eyes as Hiraikotsu met with his head.

"Sango I was merely being humorous! Sango?"

The taijia wasn't listening as she faced the four travelers with Kagome.

"Are you all right?" Kagome asked seeing their shocked faces in the rising moon light.

The man looked at her and bowed his head.

"We are. I thank you for the assistance only, what was that the Houshi did just now?"

The mans voice was deep, making Kagome think of a bass guitar. He wore customary kamishimo, and kawagutsu upon his feet. Making him rather high up for a Kobushi, she thought.  
His hair, black as night, was held in a half top knot, leaving the rest to brush the collar of his uwagi.

"Miroku sama. His hand holds a curse placed on it by a demon. He uses it to help people such as yourself, you have nothing to fear." She placated them when they backed away.

"Please join us as we make camp for the night. It will be easier to travel in the morning." Sango offered, motioning towards a clearing farther back from the path on which they stood.

The Samurai inclined his head, re sheathing his sword. Turning to the young woman he bowed on one knee.

"My Lady. Let us share camp this night and be on our way at daybreak."

The lady looked on the group for a moment before giving a nod.

He stood and let her walk ahead, following Sango. Kagome bowed as she passed.

Gathered around the fire, Kagome was able to get a better look at the others.

The two older women were acting as servants to the lady.  
They wore yukata of cotton, one dark blue the other orange, and had black hair peppered with grey held at the nape.

The Lady wore a pink yukata with white brocade embellishments, but she held herself differently.  
Her hair was cut into what one would see on an aristocrat.

"Hime-sama?" Kagome whispered. No matter, they had heard.

The Samurai turned a suspicious gaze to her from where he sat Indian style nearby, tensing at her words.

The Lady, who sat on her knees with legs bent underneath, reached out a staying hand to him.

Peering at Kagome with keen eyes she smiled. "Do you know me?"

"No, Hime-sama. I assume." she said bowing again.

She shifted her eyes to the others, noting they were to busy to hear the quiet conversation between she and their friend with the strange blue eyes.

"You are very clever then. I ask that you not tell the others, as it pertains to my life."

"Hime-sama!" The Samurai whispered fiercely.

"Aikira sama, it is known. I do not say anything of import."

"Stay your tongue of it's insolence." The elder of the two women said heatedly to the man.

The Samurai bowed low and stayed quiet.

"What is your name?" The Lady asked.

"Higurashi, Kagome."

"I am sure you understand, Higurashi san, that I was not here."

"Of course Hime-sama." she said with a short bowl. "Then please forgive my companions and I of our rude behavior."

The Lady smiled and gave a small nod.

When Sesshomaru stepped into camp there were three surprised gasps and the sound of a sword being drawn.

Hard gold eyes landed on the Samurai standing before three women near the fire.

His hand came up glowing an eerie green.

"Onegai!" All eyes shifted to Kagome who stepped in front of the bushi with her hands out.

"Sheath your sword. You insult Sesshomaru sama!"

The Samurai startled at her words and looked to his Lady.  
She gave a nod, never taking her eyes off the handsome youkai.

The green glow faded as the human put away his katana.

He had very nearly sneered at the unwanted presence when he had smelled them before landing in amongst the trees.  
Now he definitely wanted them gone.

That woman was staring at him again.  
The bushi was leaning entirely too close to Kagome as they spoke.

All this was pushing him towards cranky.

.

"Human you will cease in your perusal of this Sesshomaru." He said harshly, startling the whole group.

"Do not speak to my Lady in such a manner, demon." The Samurai growled.

Kagome's face held fear as she watched the two males stare at each other.  
Tension filled the space until she spoke.

"I have never met a Samurai before. Do you command men during war?"

That drew the bushi's attention back to her, especially to the hand upon his arm.  
He smiled at Kagome and she noticed his eyes for the first time were a deep green.

"It is surprising you have yet to encounter a Samurai before me Kagome sama."

His voice held a warm humor that seemed to wash over her bruised hurts, ala Inuyasha.

Kagome gave him a real smile and he was dazzled.

"I have commanded men in many battles, but now Tono wished for me to accompany my Lady to her fathers village."

"It was fortunate we met then Aikira sama."

He laughed. "I believe so."

Everyone was impressed at the way Kagome directed the attention away from bloodshed, for that's what it would have led to, knowing Sesshomaru's intolerance for fools.

Rin and Shippo behaved, for the most part, until falling asleep on Kirara.

Sango spoke with Lady Hisa, as she called herself.  
Miroku kept watch noting with a smirk that Sesshomaru's attention was directed toward Kagome and Aikira sama's conversations.

"We have come upon many villages that were burned to the ground, the people slaughtered. Even this far into the war it still rages." Kagome said sadly.

Aikira sighed. "Hai. The Lords will order villages burned to prevent the enemy from gaining resources. It is a cruelty both unnecessary yet forced upon those fighting."

Kagome silently looked at him thinking how amazing it was to be able to understand the view point of a Samurai who must fight.

"When I first began my journey as Samurai I would sit among the swaying grasses, and the winds I felt were the winds of destiny, pushing me forward. This is my way, the path of my soul."

"Aikira sama." Kagome whispered in awe.

He smiled at her, this blue eyed girl, so different from other women he had met. His gaze shot to the youkai who sat directly in front of them at a distance. Was she his, or under his protection? Would there be any way for him to make her his own?

As if hearing his thoughts, the youkai opened his eyes, pining Aikira in a deathly cold glare. If he had been a lesser man he would have fled from such a look.  
This demon was not one to take lightly.

Kagome felt the tension returning with the heated gaze of the Inu no Daiyoukai, so she grabbed hold of Aikira by inquiring of his methods.

"Do you believe arguments can be used as tools in battle?"

Sesshomaru's brow went up yet again. The Kobushi had a different reaction. He burst into laughter.

"Ah! Kagome sama, you are a delight. I have never done such a thing. I suppose one could employ trickery but I feel it would shame the warrior to do so. Strength is what you must rely on in battle."

Kagome wrinkled her nose at his self important tone.

"To make an enemy yield without fighting is dishonorable?"

Aikira's smile slowly disappeared at her annoyed timbre, which caught everyone's attention once more.

Sesshomaru schooled his surprised features back to their stoic mask as she went on.

"In our case, because soldiers are human, shouldn't one try to preserve every life? Which is why battles often involve contriving. To draw someone in as an ally, with out harming or tormenting him, and by not losing your soldiers. Is that not a way to obtain complete victory?" Kagome stood ignoring the bushi's slack jaw.

"I feel I do not understand just where you are coming from Aikira sama, or more to the point I don't care to. Excuse me I need to prepare the food." She gave a respectful bow and walked away.

Aikira sat in a stunned silence.

Certainly she was different from all other women. The interest in her grew with her every word.

A low growl reached his ears and he looked over at the youkai Lord.

Shivers ran through him in rapid succession.  
The look on the Daiyoukai's face made him feel as if he were going to die right there, drowning in the liquid fire of those eyes.  
Someone sat next to him, thankfully breaking their hold.

It was the Houshi, Miroku.

"Houshi." Aikira said clearing his throat.

"Bushi sama." Miroku replied with a nod. "It seems you have caught the attention of our Inu no Daiyoukai."  
Miroku smirked when he saw the youkai's eyebrow twitch.

_The Houshi is enjoying this far to much. _Sesshomaru thought turning his gaze to the moon.

Aikira turned to the monk. "What do you mean?"

Miroku sighed. "Kagome sama, she is unlike any you will ever meet. Not just for her beauty or intelligence. She is also a very powerful Miko."

Aikira jerked his gaze from the woman back to the man beside him. "Miko!" He looked at her again. "She does not seem to be a Miko."

"Mmm. She refuses to wear the garb of a priestess, for… personal reasons. She is not one to be trifled with. It is only a friendly warning." The monk said waving his hands before him as the Samurai tensed, his hand on his sword hilt.

"Also, she is under the protection of quite a few demons. Not just Sesshomaru sama, but also Inuyasha, Sesshomaru sama's brother, as well as Prince Kouga of the Ookami tribe and his pack. She also has the allegiance of this group." He said fiercely, fingering the beads around his wrist.

Seeing the Samurai pale, he knew his words got through.

"Eat well my friend and rest. Your journey begins in the morning right?" Miroku said patting the mans shoulder as he stood.

"Hai, Monk. My Lady and I will leave at dawn, do not worry."

"That's good then." The Houshi drifted over to the Miko's side and sat by the fire, shooting a grin in the Daiyoukai's direction.

Sesshomaru almost laughed at that. The Houshi wasn't half bad, for a human.

* * *

A/N: Well that's it for another chapter. I was pondering not writing any more, but figured I owed it to the story to finish it, even if no one likes it.

All these foods, I have found, they actually made note of in the history of Sengoku Jidai.

Inu no Daiyoukai: Great dog demon

Bushi, Kobushi: Samurai or Feudal warrior

Miko: Shinto priestess

Houshi: Buddhist priest or Monk

Taijia: Exterminator

Ookami: Wolf

Daikon: Large white radish

Burdock: Root used to flavor stew

Umeboshi: Pickled Dried plums

Katsuobushi: Small pieces of sliced dried Bonito

Mochi: Sticky rice cake

Gunji Nabe: Nabe or hot pot made with the chickens from chicken fights. The losers. ^_^`

Yukata: Summer Kimono that usually stops above the ankle

Awase: Lined Kimono

Obi: Sash

Kamishimo: Samurai garb

Kawagutsu: Leather boots

Uwagi: Kimono style shirt or tunic

Hime-sama: Princess

Tono: Feudal Lord

The writing at the top is an excerpt from a poem about love by Sophacles.

I also have to point out that I borrowed a few lines from the drama Fuurin Kazan, which was also set in the Sengoku Jidai, mostly the line Kagome spoke about battle was a slightly modified speech Yamamoto Kansuke made to the Tono and his generals. It is an interesting show if you like history. It also has Gackt in it, although he doesn't show up until episode 24.

I will try in the future to not put so much history in the story, so don't worry. Hope you enjoy. And if you do please leave a review!


	3. Belief is in the eye of the beholder

The stars, everything that has ever been written once originated from the stars. That is what our ancestor's believed. Before they became learned and self-aware, that is.

Sesshomaru stood staring up into the deep violet of the night sky, totally devoid of any light save one. The North Star hung in its customary place among the heavens, daring the building clouds to cover it.

The great Inu-demon cared little for the affairs of men, but at this juncture it was inevitable to cross swords with them. A vain being, the man decided he was atop species hierarchy and began this pathetic excuse for a war. He found it as disgusting as stepping in a pile of horse dung.

With an indignant sniff, the demon lord turned and retreated to the meager camp his bastard brother kept with the humans. A storm was brewing and he must ensure the protection of his… ward.

Kagome sat within the perimeter of the fires light balancing her chin upon her palm, thinking of the lessons learned in her ancient history class. She knew that trading with China was part of the success that helped them in this time of famine, but the tensions had become too great for even the demons to navigate. It was never recorded in the history books, but they had already seen where some lesser youkai were siding with humans, allowing themselves to be used in battles just to sate their own bloodlust.

Now with the upheaval brought on by the Onin War, it had only resulted in a further weakening of the Shogunate. If she remembered correctly, the Daimyo would be rising up to fill the void.

Then this would be the time the subordinates of the Daimyo's rejected the status quo and began to forcefully over throw their emaciated aristocracy.

Once she told Sesshomaru of this fact he decided to steer clear of any human presence more often than not.

Inuyasha no longer left during the night, instead staying so close to Kagome that it was slowly starting to drive her crazy. Sesshomaru, too, stuck closer to camp these days, the tension of the war winding tightly in the atmosphere. Even Rin and Shippo were more subdued, never straying too far from Kagome or Sesshomaru's side.

Late at night, under the light reflected, Kagome and Sesshomaru struck up a tentative friendship.

It began after their secretive travelers departed when, oddly enough, the demon lord came to her the day after with questions. It seemed her impassioned outburst about battler intrigued him.

To her amazement, he told her he wholly agreed with her pronouncement, reminding her of the time Sounga rampaged on the arm of Takemaru.

"_If you will Miko, recall This Sesshomaru used actions to retrieve Tenseiga. You are correct in this way of thinking. We shall speak more often of your beliefs, as they are… intriguing to this one." _

Nearly every evening, after they had made camp and eaten, Kagome would sit to the left of Sesshomaru and talk.

They spoke of what had shaped her mind, in her short life, for her to think such things about the honor of battle. He, taking great interest in her telling of ethics studies in her time seeing as they had hardly any youkai to speak of and no Samurai what so ever.

She told him of the encroaching date firearms would be introduced to Japan, finding out that they already had been there for some time. The history books had flubbed up on that one it seemed.

He found it a grim fate when she spoke of why Samurai no longer roamed the land in service to their lords. It also set him to thinking of things he never wished to acknowledge.

Was supreme conquest worth it, with all the Miko foretold?  
These events would happen, leaving youkai as nothing more than tales used to scare young children into obedience. What would become of their race, of him?

Instead of conquest over enemies, perhaps he should be using his great power to preserve his people so they may dominate all others. With him as the Lord, reigning over all until a time he decided to pass on the rule to an heir. It was worth considering.

He stepped into the fire light and immediately noted the Miko's position, as well as his sleeping ward along with the others. It was his ingrained instincts working to account for the weakest he told himself as he sat back to tree a few meters away in observance.

Sesshomaru had long lost confidence in his idiot hanyo brother to run a good surveillance on the surrounding areas, due to the flea brain taking off so many times without making sure his charges were safe. So Sesshomaru naturally took over the role of pack leader, much to the dissatisfaction of the half-breed Inu.

Not that it mattered to Sesshomaru. Kagome and the others made it a unanimous decision after the last incident, which nearly got the little fox demon killed. He did not want to see his ward cry for losing such a… friend, as she'd called it. Never the less, Inuyasha had no say in the matter and everything had been working out to their advantage since.

The Inu demon Lord watched Kagome with a flat amber gaze as she silently walked around the site and tucked blankets up around Rin and Shippo, who slept inside what she had called a tent. She patted the young girls belly as she stirred in her dreams, smiling rather matronly at the child.

Sesshomaru wondered if she had a wish for her own, one not adopted as the fox kit was. Then he nearly grimaced, as it was nothing of import to him. The Miko rose and headed for her pack that lay in the bower of pine needles she'd fashioned earlier.

Kagome looked to him for permission as she held up those strange containers she took with her when she bathed. He nodded to the sky and she knew to be back soon, before the storm hit.

It pleased him that she regarded him as the alpha male.  
Most humans did not know the Inu-youkai hierarchy, let alone observe it. Living with Inuyasha had not helped the young Miko, but it hadn't hurt either. She was still pure of body and had, quite literally, collared that repugnant, brash brother of his.  
Sesshomaru let no emotion show, but inside he was riotously laughing every time she uttered that three syllable word.

'_There isn't anything like it, watching that detestable hanyo meet the earth forcefully over and over, at the whim of a woman._' He thought to himself watching the younger male scratch behind his ear with his foot.

Sesshomaru turned his senses out into the night, intending to keep alert while the Miko bathed. It would do them no good if she were to be defiled or killed while on this journey.

The autumn night wrapped around her like cool satin as she dipped her head back into the pool of steaming water. It was bliss when the found a natural hot spring, and even more surprising when they found one that had been dug from the earth, as this one had. She couldn't understand why it had been abandoned.

'_But hey, don't look a gift horse in the mouth Kagome.'_ She told herself as she came up from rinsing out the shampoo.

Sighing, she smoothed her hair back thinking, not for the first time, about the enigmatic youkai Lord that had taken to conversing with her nightly.

For one such as him to be speaking to her of his own accord was nothing short of astounding. It had her reeling a time or two.  
Not that she didn't enjoy it. Kagome was fascinated with how the demon thought. She knew of his hatred towards humans, yet he kept Rin near him always, protecting her. He spoke to her as a knowledgeable person, rather than dismiss everything she said as Inuyasha had done. Even when they were set upon by human scouting parties, he had offered them their lives before killing them when they refused.

She saw him in a different light, as the weeks stretched into months, now that he was traveling with them. He no longer seemed the hardened killer as he once did. She couldn't say he was remorseless, but it was something that she could overlook.

'_Wait, overlook?_' What was she thinking? _'It's not as if He and I were going anywhere with this. It's just to pass the time, and Sesshomaru is a smart man, er… demon. I'm sure he just wants to pick at my brain for the time being. Find out what happens in the future, that's all.'_

Kagome grew so distracted that she didn't hear the growling thunder until it split the sky above her. She shrieked and hopped out of the comforting warmth of the water as a torrential rain fell, pelting her in a freezing downpour. She quickly threw a towel around herself and gathered up her bathing supplies, before turning and meeting an armor plated chest.

She bounced back and gasped as the enormity of the situation hit her.  
Here she was, out in the middle of nowhere, in a towel, surrounded by men who looked like they could eat her alive.

'_Shit! Of all the times to rain and lessen my youkai's senses' Kagome_ blanched at that thought, even amidst the seven circling soldiers. (Wow, say that five times fast.)

'_**My youkai**__, since when has Sesshomaru been, __**my youkai**__?' _Oh man was she in trouble.

The leader, she supposed, the one with whom she'd collided, jeered at her with a cackling laugh that more befitted an old lady than a forty-something disgusting pillager. He took a step closer and she a step back until she met with the rough bark of a tree.

The other men laughed at the look on her face and closed in.

"Well, look what we have here fellows, a nice ripe woman who has cleaned herself up for us." The leader said licking his lips.

"Ah Kihoshi, don't she smell nice?" Another man, no better than the first, said rubbing his hands together.

"That she does Mung that she does. Tell me girl, what are you doing out here alone, bathing in our spring?"

Kagome knew now why it was abandoned. She took in a breath and stood up straight, refusing to cower. "I am Kagome, the Shikon Miko. It will do you no good will to touch me. You'll be dead before you drop your hakama."

The others paused at her gumption, but the leader had no such qualms.

"So you are a Miko? I think not, all Miko are old and ugly. I saw you through the trees my dear and you have no such appearance." He leered at her breasts and took another step closer.

"I will see that body again." He said reaching for the towel. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut and drew back into the cutting bark waiting for the inevitable. It never came, however.

The smell of searing flesh and a curdling scream had her opening her eyes to take in what was happening.

An eerily glowing, bright green whip sailed through the blackness of the forest cutting down every man that stood before her. Kagome's chest swelled with relief as tears poured forth in great sobs. Yes she was strong, but tonight she had nearly been raped and killed, she knew it. The tears came at a great price, and she gladly paid it when Sesshomaru walked from the surrounding trees and stood before her shaking frame.

"You are very foolish Miko." He said calmly. Kagome nodded her head, unable to speak.

"To show such weakness in front of one such as I."

Her head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. Had there been warmth in that voice? She couldn't tell if it was truth or her own mind inflecting his words with her own wishes. He was turned away from her now and she stood on rubbery legs, forcing herself to dam up the tears.

"I apologize, Lord Sesshomaru; I am only a human woman after all." She said in regret.

He made a sound of acknowledgment and walked away. Kagome took in a deep breath and followed behind on her tiptoes.

Once they were back in camp, Kagome had to threaten Inuyasha to shut him up least he wake the children. She quickly got dried off and dressed so she could explain what had happened. Sesshomaru just sat off to the side and stared out into the rain.

Kagome couldn't tell if he was disappointed in her show of weakness so she went out of her way to not annoy him any further.

The next few days were quiet and annoyance free as Kagome kept the children occupied and Inuyasha on the lookout for meat, which meant away from the group for long periods of time.

Miroku could tell she was being careful around their new 'pack leader' but didn't say anything much, besides shooting her a wink every now and then. It was really starting to piss the Miko off. She took to glaring at him every now and then until he got the hint.

Sango was a little more discrete about her knowledge, seeing as how Kagome told her everything. She wasn't about to spill the proverbial beans anyway. And so they traveled like this until it was time to stop for provisions.

The stream was running red with blood when they came to it. Kagome pulled Rin back and distracted her with a bottle of bubbles she'd been saving for a special occasion. As she and Shippo chased them around the field with Jaken keeping watch, the Miko slipped away to find out what had happened.

When she reached the others Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found and Inuyasha was sniffing the air and cursing.  
"What is it?" She asked looking to Miroku whose face was dark with a nasty grimace.

"Sesshomaru-sama said it smelled of innocent humans, children. He's gone upstream to investigate. Inuyasha wanted to go but the new moon is upon us tonight." Miroku said with a voice full of rage.

"Who could do something like this to innocent children?" Sango said to no one in particular.

Kagome shuddered and ran back to the clueless group. Something heavy hung in the air and she didn't want to leave them alone for long.

She kept her tone light and the wetness from her eyes as she called to the others, intending to make a small lunch while they were stopped. That intention didn't last long as Inuyasha came barreling out of the trees toward them. Kagome pushed out her aura and felt it. There was a demon, pure evil, heading straight towards the field in which Kagome sat with the children.

"Rin get behind me with your back to Ah-un, now! Shippo, protect her." Kagome said flatly, the serious inflection in her voice making them move quickly.

She stood before them and drew her arrow. There was no way she'd let this thing get to Rin.  
It was hungry for more human flesh. Kagome could feel its evil intention from miles away, now that she was tuned into it. Inuyasha stood with Tetsusaiga at the ready, his aura clashing with the other already. Sango had taken to the wind on Kirara as the Monk stood below, fingers gripping the enchanted beads that held his cursed hand.

Kagome threw up a small barrier around the children at the last minute, hoping that all her practice would yield good results.

Suddenly the trees across the field parted and out stepped a… beautiful woman? As tall as Sesshomaru, she wore a long flowing gown accented with emerald gems dripping from her neck and pointed ears. Her skin was milky white; her lips stained a deep wine. Kagome didn't want to know where she got the color from. Her eyes were black as night however and that made Kagome steady her aim.

No she was the demon; Kagome could feel its maleficent hunger pounding against her in waves. Inuyasha started to growl low in his throat. That sent chills up Kagome's neck. He sounded as if he was changing into a full demon. She had heard it too many times in the past to be mistaken.  
This demon's miasma must be affecting him on a primal level.

"Inuyasha, don't lose your focus now. We have to protect Rin!" Kagome shouted.

The half-Inu looked back and she could see the redness overtaking his eyes.

"Crap! Guys Inuyasha's not going to be any help this time. Let's go to plan B." Kagome called to the others.

Miroku came to the front and reached for the beads, but stopped as a mass of miasma poured from beneath the demons white dress.

"Shit! Sango put your mask on! I'll have to use the sutras." He ground out roughly.

Kagome pulled back and let her arrow fly. It landed just inches from the demon, singeing her dress and sending up a crackling barrier blocking any advancement for the moment.

The demon bared her pointed teeth and hissed, clawing at the sphere while staring Kagome down. She knew who had the power now and wanted her dead.

Kagome took a deep breath and notched another arrow, pointing it straight at the demons heart. She didn't see it coming, so when a red blur knocked into her she flew across the field, landing in a heap.

Miroku called for her in panic. "Lady Kagome!"

"Hiraikotsu!" Sango screamed as she flung her weapon.

The giant boomerang struck metal and fell to the ground, but it had pushed him back a few feet allowing them to get to Kagome.

Inuyasha stood there panting; his sword plunged into the ground.

"Inuyasha what do you think you're doing?" Sango yelled as she gathered Kagome's still form up from the dirt, cradling her.

The half demon just growled, the red completely bleeding through the whites of his eyes. Jagged purple stripes marked his face as he clawed and snapped at the Monk's hastily placed barrier. Suddenly he was face to dirt as Sesshomaru appeared beside him, planting the Inu with a harsh right hook.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin called happily. The Daiyoukai glanced at her before turning to the Monk for explanation.

"The demon there," He pointed. "She is the one that murdered those children. Her miasma caused Inuyasha to change into his demon form. He attacked Kagome." Miroku said quickly.

Sesshomaru turned to the, now calm demon behind the Miko's pure barrier. He did not care that she turned the half-breed into a slobbering idiot, but he did care that she meant to eat his charge. The female was broadcasting it loud and clear, and after what he had seen in the village upstream, he had no doubt that's what she would do.

"Filth" he muttered. This didn't seem to go over well with the demon, as she started in on the barrier once more, with gusto.

Sesshomaru turned away from her vermin like display and walked over to Rin.  
"Are you hurt?" He asked the girl, stopping inches from the pearl pink sphere.

"No Sesshomaru-sama, Lady Kagome put us in a bubble so we wouldn't get hurt. Is she okay Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin pleaded with watery eyes, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Hn."

Suddenly there was a shriek as the barrier fell, releasing the demon across the field.

Sesshomaru turned to take care of the nuisance, but a streak of blinding purple light slashed through the feral female's chest and she burst into pure blue fire. As the flames consumed her Sesshomaru turned his attention to the Miko who stood shakily, with her bow still clutched in her hands.

'Bitch." The girl muttered with rage, but the wind carried her words to him, no matter how softly she said them. "That's what you get for messing with my children."

Sesshomaru didn't know what to make of that, but he didn't have a lot of time to think as the Miko collapsed again, into the Taijia's arms.

"Kagome!"

The barrier holding Rin and the fox kit dissolved and the two rushed to the fallen Miko.  
A groan sounded from behind him and Inuyasha sat up rubbing his now dark head.

"What the hell happened?" He grumbled to himself.

Sesshomaru did not have to answer, but wished to due to the idiot's detestable actions to the Miko yet again.

"You, _dear_ brother" he said with much contempt, "Nearly killed the Miko once again." With that he walked from the field, intending to keep to the trees while in thought of what Kagome had said just before she lost consciousness.

Inuyasha rushed over and knelt beside Shippo.  
"Oh Kagome, what have I done?"

'Yet again you allowed your baser self to come at the call of a demon, and nearly killed Kagome!" Sango yelled.

Inuyasha's ears rang as the woman verbally assaulted him. He deserved it, he knew. The hand upon her arm made her calm down. Kagome sat up and shook her head at the other woman. Sango stood up with a sigh and walked away in an attempt to soothe her temper.

"It's alright Inuyasha. I know you didn't mean it." Kagome said as she stood with Miroku's help.  
"I think we need to get moving again, you've already changed. We have to find shelter for the night." She said walking on unsteady legs in the direction Sesshomaru had gone moments before.

The two men watched her go while the children, Jaken and the two headed dragon followed.

"She is becoming so strong." Miroku said quietly.

Inuyasha could only nod. Yes she was stronger, and that attracted him all the more to her. But he had made his choice, and no matter how much he wanted Kagome, he wouldn't go there.

Kagome staggered for a moment and braced herself against a tree. She took some breaths and continued on, laughing with the young ones as they raced around her. Jaken kept eyeballing her with a concerned look, which surprised her since he usually acted as if she were lower than the mud under his feet.

She didn't falter though, and soon could walk without grimacing in pain. When Inuyasha had crashed into her she'd fallen on a dead tree stump. She feared she may have cracked a rib, but since the pain was manageable she figured it would be okay.

"Nothing like a little brush with death to end the day." She said to herself, unaware that a certain demon Lord was observing her every move.

Sesshomaru almost laughed at that, almost. The Miko had such a way in dealing with situations. It was rather refreshing, admittedly.

With one last silent chuckle, Sesshomaru stepped out in front of her and paused. She noticed him and came to a halting stop. He didn't miss the paling of her face or the momentary grimace of pain as she favored her left side.

"We will stop here for the night." He stated simply and walked off to sit under a tree.

Kagome laughed humorlessly and eased herself down far away from the stoic demon. Inuyasha trounced into their midst and glared at the two.

"Are we sleeping here?" He got no answer and he huffed. Looking over at Kagome he shouted, "Oi, get up and make us some dinner!"

Kagome glared up at him and gave him the one finger salute she'd seen on countless American television shows.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" He growled at her crossing his arms with a snort.

Kagome shrugged and closed her eyes, feeling very tired all the sudden. "Fuck you Inuyasha."

The hanyo's eyes grew large and he sputtered, unable to speak. Sesshomaru snorted, drawing their attention his way. He stared back, his face impassable, but his eyes were dancing golden orbs.

"Oh yeah, real funny. Kagome where did you learn that? Sesshomaru stop laughing! I can tell you're laughing!"

When Miroku and Sango reached the unmade camp, they were shocked to say the least.  
Inuyasha was ranting about Sesshomaru laughing at him, though he clearly was not, and Kagome had said something that made more sense coming out of his own mouth rather than hers.

"I'm telling you, she said it!" He whined as Miroku laughed and Sango refused to even look at him.

"Inuyasha shut up, some of us are trying to get some sleep." Kagome snarled, making the man slump even further into his cup of noodles that Sango had reluctantly made for him.

She didn't like being so hateful, but the pain in her side was like a burning iron poker which made her irritable and short tempered. She didn't know if there was something more serious going on inside, but she did not feel well at all.

Sesshomaru could tell the Miko was suffering as she did her best to hide the pain. He admired her efforts, deciding to let her carry out the deception until the end.

Truthfully, he was rather curious to see if she could do it. Humans were notably weak, susceptible to pain and illness. He wished to find out if she were different, since she'd done nothing but prove him wrong time and again in the past.

Kagome snuck off to the trees later that night knowing the Inu demon would hear her; grateful for once that Inuyasha was human with the new moon, so she wouldn't have to answer his questions. She couldn't move stealthily at all while in such pain. So, walking just out of eye sight of the others, she dug into her pack for the first aid kit.  
Opening it, Kagome took the painkiller she usually gave Inuyasha to calm him down while tending his injuries, and drank it down with a bottle of water.

Soon her pain would fade and she could sleep.  
Kagome sighed deeply. Today had been so long, it seemed and her mind was in constant debate with her heart over all she had experienced here in the Sengoku period.

Inuyasha had finally lost his place at the forefront of her mind and, due to his indecision, had made her realize that she was too young to have fallen so deeply in love.

No matter all the hardships and trials they'd had to face, it didn't amount to the hurt he had caused all on his own. She was aware that her first love had faded over the years.  
Now, with all the strife in Japan, she was more focused in putting it to rights and keeping the ones she loved safe.

Kagome's honest love had begun to make her appear foolish.  
It was at that moment she realized it had to stop. Inuyasha was brash and borderline abusive with his words, that couldn't lead to a happy ending.

Having known another side of love, even if it was just parental, Kagome knew that it wasn't right what Inuyasha was doing to her. Real love wasn't selfish and destructive.

Perhaps they were meant to only be friends. With such a strong bond, it could be possible she had mistaken their feelings. Heck, she was only fifteen when she fancied herself in love with a demon!

With maturity came changes. Changes that reshaped how one viewed the world around them, not only in life, but in love as well. Kagome was beginning to see those changes in herself, Miroku, Sango even in Shippo.  
Inuyasha was another matter, having stayed the same in his dealings with emotion. He may have grown in areas of combat and rational thinking during tense moments, but with her and Kikyo he'd stalled somewhere along the way.

That was quite an eye opener to the time traveling Miko. She understood it now, not knowing how she'd missed it before. Maybe her schoolgirl crush had blinded her even though she tried her best to ignore it in the beginning?

She shrugged her shoulders and went back to the others. There was no point in thinking about it now. What's done is done; she just wanted to face the present. She had too many people and demons depending on her to let her past emotions cloud her mind.  
She looked at the two children playing cards near the fire, another thing Kagome had brought back to pass the time, and smiled. They were the reason she had to forget her petty emotions.

Rin and Shippo, innocent kids drug into a world of violence and death. Kagome had to protect them from further heart ache, they were only children. They didn't have the choice to be born in an era where war was a thing for the history books. They had witnessed to many horrible travesties already and deserved to have more happy memories.  
If it was the only thing she could do, she would give them that.

Sesshomaru watched the human Miko from the corner of his eye. She stood resolute; he could see it in her posture. Looking upon the children with such ferocity, he knew to be a mother's protective aura, she was strangely appealing.

He didn't want to admit it, of course, but there was no mistaking it. Kagome was practically shouting that she was Rin's mother.

That stirred something within him, within his beast, because he had placed Rin under his protection. Because of this, she had become part of his pack.

The innate instinct, as an Inu youkai, was to take Kagome in as Rin's mother and subdue her to his will as the alpha male. He growled low in his throat startling the woman.

"Sesshomaru-sama, is everything okay? Is there a demon nearby?" she asked sending out her aura in search of any danger.

"There is nothing, only stop looking at my ward as if she were your pup. It displeases this Sesshomaru. Do you think this one cannot protect the child?"

Kagome took a step back, her eyes wide. That action set off his predator instinct, she looked as if she would run. He stood quickly and moved to stand before her in the blink of an eye. Kagome gasped and stopped, standing still as the trees around them while clenching her hands into fists.

The others around the fire watched as the Inu stalked their Miko. Sango reached for her Hiraikotsu only to be stopped by Miroku's restraining grip on her wrist. She looked at him and he shook his head, his eyes still on the demon and human facing off.

Inuyasha just grunted and looked away with disgust. Shippo knew what was going on so he kept Rin busy while the drama unfolded.

Kagome looked up at the demon Lord before her and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru-sama, I certainly do not think that you can't protect Rin. I was merely thinking while watching the children play. It was not my intention to insult you, I apologize."

Kagome bowed low before him and waited for his judgment. Youkai hierarchy was confusing and tiresome but she knew better than to show her annoyance.

Sesshomaru snorted and walked away from camp, leaving behind the woman's scent which was laced with irritation. He cared not for the mortals' opinion, but still it ate at his mental barriers.  
She didn't find him lacking, he knew this. It was just his beast asserting itself.

Even then, why should his beast have to assert itself around the human? Did it really consider her an equal?  
Sesshomaru decided to leave their camp for a few days to sort out his conflicting thoughts. This should tell him what he wanted to know. That without the Miko around nothing changed. That he was still himself, no matter the past few months of tolerating humans in his presence.

When morning came and there was no sign of Sesshomaru, Kagome told the others they would continue on without the demon Lord.

Jaken and Rin must have been used to the Inu youkai's behavior because they didn't murmur a protest when the group moved out with a rejuvenated Inuyasha in the lead.


End file.
